This invention relates to electronic devices and systems and, in particular, to a system and method for electrically interconnecting electronic components in an electronic system.
Various processes are known in the art for electrically coupling an electronic device, such as an integrated circuit formed on a single semiconductor chip, to an external electronic component or system. Such processes typically involve mounting the device on an insulative substrate having a plurality of electrical conductors; electrically coupling bond pads mounted on the device to the substrate conductors; molding a protective plastic casing around the device; trimming and forming electrical leads emanating from the plastic casing to form a desired package; and soldering the electrical leads to printed circuit conductors on a printed circuit board in an electronic apparatus.
A common device package is the so-called "dual in line" package (DIP) wherein the electronic device is encapsulated and sealed within a molded plastic casing. The process of manufacturing DIP's is comprised of the steps of affixing the electronic device to a central mounting pad in a metal lead frame; coupling the bond pads located on the perimeter of the device to the leads of the lead frame using fine gold wires or ultrasonic bonding; encapsulating the device and lead frame in a plastic casing by an injection or transfer molding process; and trimming and forming the electrical leads of the lead frame to the desired length and configuration. The electrical leads can be bent or otherwise shaped to provide the necessary "plug-in" connection to a printed circuit board or the like.
Conventional assembly and packaging techniques have several disadvantages, however. First, interconnection and packaging techniques are relatively complex and involve several different steps. Second, expensive positioning equipment is needed to precisely align the bond pads of an electronic device, which have one particular geometry and configuration, with the respective electrical conductors, which usually have a significantly different geometry and configuration from that of the bond pads, to effect proper electrical interconnection. Further, relatively expensive bonding materials such as, for example, gold wires, are needed and time-consuming soldering operations are required.